


Know Me

by Anonymous



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Confessions, Eventual Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Hospitalization, Injury, M/M, Major Character Injury, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, my first attempt at writing a true slowburn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:40:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27810901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Dream has known George for over seven years, but recently, something's been beginning to change. Navigating these odd feelings is difficult, but for George, he's willing to try. Does George feel the same? Will he ever truly know Dream? Or will he just be another that Dream loses to the unidentifiable, masked persona he clings to for comfort?
Relationships: Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 103
Kudos: 316
Collections: Anonymous





	1. Normality

There was a scream, and Dream's feet couldn't run fast enough on the sand if he tried. He gasped, watching his health deplete as he dashed forward into a cave, rounding a tight corner and crouching and putting up two blocks to hide his position to give him long enough time to eat. Beginning to regenerate, he watched the names of George, Sapnap, Antfrost, and BadBoyHalo pass beside his make-shift hiding spot. He let out a silent breath of relief, readying his pickaxe. 

"Wait, where'd he go?" Sapnap spun around in a circle in the dimly lit cave. "He came in here, right? We all saw it?"

"Definitely," George murmured, and then gasped. A green figure sprinted towards them with a very familiar smiley face donned on his chest. "Sapnap!" George tried to warn, but watched his friend explode into items and orbs of experience as his reddened corpse hit the stone. 

"Run, run!" Bad yelped out, turning on his heel but only making it a few blocks away before his hunger ran out, and he spun around to meet his demise at the hands of Dream's iron axe with one last, dignified cry. 

Dream then turned to Ant and George, who were huddled in shock at the back of the cave. "So, boys. We wanna just say I win?" Dream smirked, wishing that there was an animation to twirl the axe around on his blocky fingertips. 

George and Ant exchanged glances, before George scoffed and took a step forward, and Dream watched his discord camera move as he folded his arms over his chest confidently. "Fight me, Dream. Go ahead. Fight me like a man. If you won't, I--"

_GeorgeNotFound was slain by Dream._

Laughter erupted from the voice call from Dream, Ant, and Bad, whereas George merely fell silent. Dream leaned back in his gaming chair, eyes screwed shut with laughter and his cheekbones ached. "Oh George, that was perfect!" He managed to get out, before another signature wheeze clambered through the call, causing all of the other three to start laughing as well. 

"I didn't think you'd just one hit me!" George tried to argue amidst the laughter overflowing the call, and eventually just huffed and went silent until the others rode out their shrieking laughter fits. 

"That was glorious," Dream giggled, running a hand through his disheveled hair--one benefit of not ever recording with webcam, you never had to be presentable, ever--and wiping a stray tear from the corner of his eye. "Well, Ant? You want a piece of this?"

Ant chuckled and shook his head. "Y'know, I'll respectfully surrender. You win, Dream. You win."

"I win!" Dream yelled victoriously, clapping his hands and leaning back in his chair again. "Heck yeah!" No swearing on stream, Dream. "Well, I think that'll do it for this stream, guys. I'm tired," he admitted with a chuckle, taking his hands off his mouse and keyboard and swiveling in his chair, idly picking at his fingers as he spoke his outro. "Thanks so much for tuning in, I'll see you all next time. Bye!" He made his character wave at the screen in first person mode, before clicking the end stream button and letting out a groan. "That was a long one. Fun though. Thanks, guys," Dream grinned.

"Yeah, it was fun! Thanks for hanging with us, Dre," Bad chimed, before the familiar noise of someone dropping out of a call resounded. 

"I'm gonna head out, too," Ant added, "I have a ton of work to do. Catch you around, you two."

"Hey, I'll stick around for a few but I'll be back in a second," Sapnap said, and deafened and muted the call before stepping away from the computer.

And just like that, it left just Dream and George. This wasn't an unusual occurrence; they tended to hang around after streams and just talk with each other. They'd been friends longer than any of the others anyway, so it was nice to get some time to just catch up. "Actually man, I'm really hungry. I didn't eat before the stream," Dream eyed the clock that read 5pm. Had they really been streaming for five hours? "I'll go make some food for me and Patches, and then be back."

"Take your time, dude. I'll be here, got nothing better to do," George grinned, and Dream watched him take out his phone before standing up and walking away from his own computer. 

"Patches!" Dream called softly, padding along the cool tile in his socks as he searched for his cat. "Dinner time!" As he approached the fridge, he heard a gentle thud from the bedroom followed by the soft tuts of paws against the tile. Dream smiled and crouched down, reaching a hand out for Patches to approvingly sniff before rubbing her flank against his palm. Dream rubbed her back, affectionately rubbing one thumb on the soft spot behind her ear. "Hey, honey," Dream cooed in a gentler tone, to which Patches gave a soft mewl in return. He stood back up and put a cup of small kibble into a bowl, lowering it down to her while he turned back to the fridge for himself. Right as he reached for some leftovers from yesterday, his phone buzzed in his hoodie pocket.

Humming, he took out his phone and tapped it to life. Seeing a snapchat from George, he grinned to himself and opened it. A picture of his face making an exaggerated pout with the text _"when will dream return from the war"_ captioned. Dream chuckled, taking a snap of his fridge and captioning, _"i'm coming, i'm coming"_ before putting the phone back against the counter. He slid over to the microwave, popping the bowl in and typing in numbers as it beeped. He spun back towards his phone as it buzzed on the counter and he swiped it open. A disgusted picture of George with the caption, _"i didn't need to know that"._ Dream scoffed out another laugh before leaving him on opened to retrieve his food from the microwave. Grabbing his phone and giving Patches one last pat, he skipped back down the stairs to his PC, where discord was still open, and Sapnap was unmuted and undeafened. George's camera was still on, but... something was off.

Dream silently sat down, having only muted but not deafened his mic. 

"I don't know, it's so hard to tell, y'know? I mean, we've been friends for so long..." George murmured, his head collapsing into his hands with a hefty sigh. "But lately something's just been... off."

"Off how?" Sapnap asked, and there was a shuffling sound from the other end as he adjusted his positioning. 

"I don't know... it's just not the same anymore, I guess," George's nose scrunched up as he got lost in thought, just a little thing that Dream had noticed about his friend that he thought was so uniquely George. He wasn't sure why he always focused on such small traits and habits of George's, but they just brought a fondness to his heart, so he never thought too hard about it. But he did know that George typically only grew silent and focused when he was really trying to put his thoughts into words. What could be bothering him so much? His brows furrowed in concern as he stabbed at his food, lifting some to his mouth as he continued to listen in. He tried to tell himself that it wasn't eavesdropping if it was genuine concern for a friend.

"Do you think it's him, specifically? Something he did?" Sapnap asked.

"Yeah," George sighed. "I think it always has been Dream to some extent." Dream's heart stopped in his chest. They were talking about him? Something he'd done? Suddenly, he'd lost his appetite. "It was okay at first, but as time grew on, it just got more and more intense... and now I don't know how to tell him about it without making things weird. I don't wanna lose him, y'know? But I can't keep on like this, either."

Dream's gaze cast down to his food, where he'd been relentlessly stabbing and twirling his fork in the noodles. It was one thing to have upset George, apparently for a long time, but another entirely when he felt like he was completely unapproachable. But he wasn't sure exactly what to do or how to handle it, so he decided that he'd leave it for now and ask Sapnap about the conversation more at a later time.

He unmuted his mic and coughed to announce his presence, before grinning. "I got some _noodles_ , guys."

"Oh, Dream!" George chimed, but this time the cheeriness in his voice felt like a rock in Dream's stomach. Has he been faking this happiness around him for so long? Has he really been dreading every second spent with the other, while Dream's been silently wishing for more? It was a thought he didn't like.

"Hi, George," he said, trying to push a smile into his inflection. "What were you guys talking about?" Maybe he'd just bite the bullet and get it out of the way now?

"Nothing really," Sapnap covered for George, who had gone silent. "We were just talking about the stream and stuff. We think people will really like it when it's uploaded, too."

"Yeah, hopefully," Dream muttered, a bit discouraged that his friends wouldn't be honest with him. "I am tired though," he confessed, "I wasn't just trying to get out the stream. So I think I might actually head out early today."

"Wait, you should stick around a little bit longer," Sapnap urged. "I have to leave to do some editing, I can leave you two alone."

Was there a reason Sapnap was trying to get him and George alone? Maybe George really did want to talk about it with him. He took a deep breath. "Alright. Just you and me, huh Georgie?" He grinned as Sapnap dropped the call. "What's up? Did you want to talk about anything?"

"Not anything specific," George shrugged, drumming his fingers against the desk. "What kind of noodles did you get?"

"Oh, some leftover Chinese," Dream furrowed his brows in confusion. What was with the small-talk? "George, I... heard a little bit what you and Sapnap were saying on the call while I was gone."

George's eyes grew as wide as his goggles, and he went silent for a few seconds. "W-..how much?"

"Just a little bit." _Enough to know that I've done something wrong._ "Can we... talk about it?"

"Dream, you weren't supposed to hear that," George fidgeted in place, clearly looking awkward on the small box on his screen. "Let's just-- forget about it, okay? It wasn't anything serious."

"Well, it... sounded pretty serious," Dream confessed. "It sounded like I did something wrong."

"No! No, you haven't done anything wrong, Dream," George said quickly, but sincerely. Dream was even more confused now than he had been. "I was just talking about my own feelings. Really, it has nothing to do with you. I-I think I better go."

"What? George, I don't want things to be weird between us. You know you can tell me anything," Dream tried to bargain quickly, but it seemed George's mind was already made up.

"I'll catch you later, Dream."

And the call dropped.


	2. Just a Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The moment he managed to pull himself to his hands and knees, he was met with his reflection in the puddle beneath him. Where he expected to see emerald green eyes, he only saw the lifeless void of two hollow eye sockets in a stark white mask staring back at him, plastered with a wide smile that stretched from edge to edge. Something that once brought him and his viewers so much comfort had never looked so terrifying. Suddenly, he was much more terrified of what he saw staring back at him than the ongoing threat of getting hit by an unsuspecting car. 
> 
> He looked like a monster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys, archie here! thank you so much for your support on the first chapter! i really didn't expect anyone to read it at all, let alone comment on it! it really brightened my day and spurred me on the write this second chapter, even if i am releasing it later than i originally wanted to. i really hope you enjoy this! comments are always appreciated, and please share this around with your friends and others in the fandom if you like it! it's the best way to get my writing known, which is a dream of mine :)   
> thank you all, and i love you so much! enjoy!

The sound of the call dropping filled Dream's headphones, and he sat at his desk staring at the screen with a shocked expression. What happened? What did he do? He felt anxiety swirling in his chest and his gaze dropped to the floor. Did he hurt George somehow? The thought made his chest ache. 

After a few minutes of heavy thinking about what could've possibly gone wrong, he pushed himself away from the computer desk and got to his feet. He took a glance at his now discarded noodles, picking up the bowl and walking back up the stairs. Patches was still eating, and he took comfort in that. At least someone felt well enough to eat. At least someone's life was normal. He glanced at the clock again. Five-thirty. He wanted it to be later. He wanted it to be tomorrow, so that he could bring this up to Sapnap without it feeling weird. What was he supposed to do now?

He sighed, before deciding that sleeping this whole thing off was his best option. He shuffled down the hallway until he creaked open the door to his bedroom, stepping inside and leaving it open a crack in case Patches wanted to take a nap with him. He slipped off his pants and shirt (it's hot in Florida, a man has to do what a man has to do) and slid under the covers onto his back, staring at the ceiling. He let out a soft sigh, beginning to let his mind wander.

How had he gotten to this point? He'd hurt George somehow, his best friend for what felt like a lifetime. Was that why he was so upset about it? He couldn't help but think there was more to it than that. He and George had fought all the time back when they had only known each other for a year or two; their personalities used to butt heads quite a bit. This had been the first time Dream had upset him without meaning to in the heat of the moment, saying things he ultimately regretted. George usually called him out when he did stuff like that, too; what was different this time? Had it struck a harsh chord?

Dream sighed in agitation and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. Whatever. He'd sleep this whole thing off, and then call Sapnap tomorrow and ask him what was up. He rolled over onto his side, wrapping one arm around the pillow and resting his cheek against the cool fabric. _What if things between him and George never got patched? What if he lost his best friend? What was he to do? What if the subs started asking questions?_

He shook his head to clear it as he rolled over onto his other side. _Don't think about that now, just sleep,_ he tried to bargain with himself. _What if whatever he did was bad enough to make Sapnap hate him, too? What if he lost his whole friend group over something he didn't even know he did? What about the Dream Team? What would happen then?_

"Fuck," Dream muttered, rubbing at his eyes with his fingertips. This was infuriating. He couldn't stop thinking about it. He turned his head to the side and reached for his phone. Maybe some music would help? It was worth a shot. He opened Spotify and went to search, before seeing George was online. George rarely uses Spotify these days, as Dream and Sapnap tend to bully him for his music taste. The song he was listening to caught his eye. It was one he'd never seen George listen to before, something that he hadn't expected was his taste. He'd heard it before a few times on TikTok, but never heard the full thing. Electric Love, by BØRNS.

As the soft yet vaguely familiar melody began to play, Dream set his phone on his chest and flopped down on his back again with an arm draped over his eyes as he listened, quietly humming under his breath. 

_Baby, you're like lightning in a bottle_

_I can't let you go now that I got it_

_All I need is to be struck_

_By your electric love_

_Baby, your electric love_

Definitely not a song that he expected George to listen to and like. But in a funny little way, he supposed it suited him. It was peppy and upbeat and sweet, all of the traits George embodied perfectly. For some reason, it made Dream smile as he associated George with the lyrics to the song. It definitely helped to quiet his mind a bit, and with a few more times of listening to it on loop, Dream heard the melody begin to fade into a soft warble as sleep overtook him.

-

The world was quiet, and Dream was cold. His teeth were chattering as he looked around, watching the rain beat down around him. Where was he? Why was he in the middle of the street? Why was it so _cold?_ He folded his arms over his chest and rubbed his arms through his soaked, thin white t-shirt. He had no idea what he was doing here, or where "here" even was, but for some reason, he had a gut feeling he wasn't alone. The feeling of eyes peering at him around every corner made his heart begin to pound, dread creeping up his spine and making the hairs on the back of his neck rise to stand on end. With his head on a swivel, he began to walk down the street. It was difficult to see through the heavy fog anything at all, which worried him, as he was in the middle of the road, but he figured he'd see the headlights coming before anything happened. The further he walked, the more he felt the dread settling into his bones, colder than the freezing rain. 

"Hello?" He called out, voice coming out much more meekly than he'd envisioned. He inhaled a shaky breath through shattering teeth, continuing to walk when he got no response. He tried to take in his surroundings, maybe see if he could pinpoint a landmark, something, anything familiar, but it was no use. He couldn't see anything through the fog. He kept walking for what felt like hours, just getting colder and colder. It wasn't long before his joints were beginning to stiffen, victim to the freezing cold seeping through his bones. His head snapped around, looking for a way out of the road, but it was too late. His legs gave out from under him, and he collapsed in a puddle in the center of the road. He shook, teeth jittering together in his mouth as he tried to pull himself to his hands and knees. If he couldn't walk, he needed to at least crawl. Get out of the street. 

The moment he managed to pull himself to his hands and knees, he was met with his reflection in the puddle beneath him. Where he expected to see emerald green eyes, he only saw the lifeless void of two hollow eye sockets in a stark white mask staring back at him, plastered with a wide smile that stretched from edge to edge. Something that once brought him and his viewers so much comfort had never looked so terrifying. Suddenly, he was much more terrified of what he saw staring back at him than the oncoming threat of getting hit by an unsuspecting car. 

He looked like a monster.

His breath caught in his lungs, and he could hear his heart pounding in his ears so loudly, that he almost didn't hear the repeated honking. When he lifted his head and was met eye-to-eye with a car, he flinched back, raised his arms to brace himself, and shut his eyelids tight, bracing for what he knew would be his oncoming death. 

Only it never came.

After ten seconds of waiting for impact, he cracked open an eye and was met with a warm glow peeking between his fingertips. His arms slowly lowered as his eyes opened fully, and he looked around. "You're awake," came a familiar voice, "hell of a dream?"

Dream's head spun to see George sitting beside him. They were in the back of a pickup truck, with a lantern in the center. George was on one end with a blanket, and Dream was on the other side with another blanket. It was still dark, but the fog had cleared, and the rain had stopped. He stared at George in silence for a moment, before finding his words. "Am I dead?" He blurted. It was a question he knew may make him seem senile, but he had been sure he was going to die. 

"What-? No!" George laughed, leaning against the wall of the pickup. "Of course you're not! Did you have a nightmare where you died or something?"

Nightmare? It must've been a dream, then. He was asleep. It hadn't been real. That explained it. Dream felt his muscles gradually beginning to relax, and he let out a small breath. "...yeah. I guess I must've been. Sorry, man, how long have I been out?" He didn't remember falling asleep in George's... what, was this _his_ truck? Where was he? Wait, George lived across the ocean in England. This couldn't be real, either. Right?

"About two hours," George waved a hand. "Don't worry about it, Dream. You were exhausted, I don't blame you. Jet lag."

Jet lag... yeah, hell of a drug. That's all it was.

"Jet lag," Dream echoed with a nod. "Yeah. Sorry."

George waved him off again with a smile, before readjusting to laying on his back and staring at the stars. "Want a pillow?" He offered, "you can lay with me. Maybe we can find some constellations."

Dream gave a small smile at that. He hadn't done something like that since he was a kid. Living in a big city meant that the smog and all the lights at night tended to cover up the stars, and he'd moved to a relatively large city in Florida when he'd moved away from his parents. "That'd be nice," he said with a small smile. 

George tossed him a pillow, and Dream caught it, positioned it behind his head and lay down, gaze turning towards the stars. "Did you ever make up constellations with your friends or siblings growing up? I remember we used to do that, we'd make up constellations by connecting random stars and explaining all the stories behind them."

Dream chuckled, shaking his head. "No, I don't think I ever did that. Show me how."

"Alright, uh, let's see..." George let out a low hum as he scanned the sky. Suddenly, he raised his arm and extended his pointer finger to a specific star in the sky. "You see that?" He grinned, "that connects to that one there. And that one connects here, and here..." He began mapping out the constellation to Dream, who followed along. It appeared to just be a blob, to Dream. 

"What does it mean?" Dream asked. "It's just a shape."

"No, you see? It looks like a little fairy! See the wings, and the little humanoid shape kinda, if you connect those stars there..." George tried to explain, waving his finger in the air and drawing imaginary lines between the stars. 

Dream began to see it, too. "Oh, yeah, I think I get what you mean. What's that pointy thing then?" Dream gestured himself to a few stars that seemed to form a slanted line down the fairy's body. 

George hummed in thought, tapping his chin idly, before gasping. "Maybe it's a bow and arrow?" he suggested. "What're those little things that have the arrows, and the wings, the... the little fat baby things!"

Dream let out a laugh, raising an eyebrow as he glanced over at his friend. "Little fat baby things, with weapons? Are you on crack, George?"

"No!" George defended with another laugh. Dream had never noticed the way his eyes crinkled at the corners, as if his smile was so big and bright it just stole the other features from his face. His joy was explosive. It was powerful. "You know what I mean, those little... angel things!"

"What, Cherubs? Cupid's angels or whatever, the little things that make people fall in love?" Dream glanced back at the sky, eyes tracing the shape of the constellation. "...yeah, I guess I can see that, actually."

"Right?" George grinned, looking back at the sky. "Now you go. Show me a constellation."

"Uh, okay..." Dream looked between the stars, trying to come up with some kind of shape. After a moment, he snickered, and glanced over at George. "I found one. See that, right there? Those stars that point up and sort of curve?" He mapped it out with his index finger, and George seemed to follow along.

"Yeah, I see it. What does it mean to you?" George asked, rolling his head to the side to look over at Dream.

Dream did the same, meeting his gaze with a wide smirk. "It's a _penis_ , George."

George gawked, before letting out a laugh. "Dream!"

"What? You asked me to find one, I found one!" Dream laughed back, watching George cover his mouth with a hand to stifle his loud, bubbly laughter.

It made Dream sad.

Dream's laughter died down, as he sat up. "George... why do you do that sometimes?" he asked out of the blue.

"What?" George removed the hand to ask, sitting up as well. "Do what?"

"You cover your mouth when you laugh or smile sometimes," Dream frowned, staring at him from across the lanterns yellow hue. "Why?"

"I don't know, I guess it's just... a habit?" George shrugged his shoulders, rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't know anyone noticed it."

"I noticed," Dream said, "because I like to see you smile."

He hadn't noticed the dripping honey in his tone until the words had already been spoken. His words were laced with sweetness and sincerity, and it was clear that George saw it, too. He looked taken aback. Why had he said that? Was George going to be upset with him? What was wrong with him? 

What was this warmth in his chest?

"You like my smile?" George repeated with a little disbelieved chuckle. "Okay."

"No, no, I mean it," Dream spoke, before he could think to stop himself. He slid forward slightly, inching closer to George. "I'm serious, man. Your smile... what, what are those stupid pick-up lines?" He grinned dorkily, "your smile is brighter than any star?"

George let out a soft laugh, averting his gaze to the lantern, watching the flame flicker. "What, you're using pick-up lines on me now? You trying to make me blush, Dream?"

"Maybe I am," Dream said back, as his heart began to pound. Where was this coming from? He leaned forward again, so close now that Dream's fingertips brushed George's. "What would you do about that, if I were?"

"I'd say you'd have to try harder," George lifted his head slowly to meet Dream's gaze. 

"Really?" Dream's voice was hardly a whisper, so faint that you may miss it if you weren't bated on his every word. "What if I told you that I notice the way your eyes sparkle when you're passionate, or the way they crinkle at the edges when you laugh? It's almost like your joy is so large it's exploding from your smile, and it just makes everyone else smile, too," Dream deliberately placed his hand on top of George's, staring into his brown eyes. "Would that be enough?"

George's smile was small and full of fondness as he gazed back at Dream. There was a tension in the air that neither of them could describe as George leaned forward ever so slightly. "Try harder," he breathed.

"Really?" Dream murmured, leaning his head closer now, so their foreheads were nearly touching. "What if I kissed you?" He whispered, the hand that wasn't on George's came up to cup his jaw, thumb delicately stroking his cheekbone. "Would that be enough for you?"

"I think so," George replied, his gaze slowly trailing from Dream's eyes to his lips. It was the first time that he'd thought about it, but Dream realized his mask must be off. Of course it was, right? It was just a stupid nightmare. 

"Do you want me to?" Dream asked, the hand creeping to the nape of his neck and delicately locking his fingers in the back of his black hair.

"I do," George pressed his forehead gently against Dream's. "I want you to kiss me."

And that was all the permission he needed. Dream tilted his head and leaned forward until soft pink lips met in a warm, delicate touch. It was brief at first, as if testing the waters. Dream pulled back, his eyes flickering back and forth between George's face, desperately trying to read what he was thinking. "Was that good?"

George didn't respond, simply tugging Dream back in by a gentle grip on his chin. It was warmer this time, more heated. The kiss lasted longer, and their lips began to move, and hands began to wander. It made Dream shiver and press more firmly against George's mouth, his grip tightening on the back of his neck ever so slightly. They didn't part until Dream felt like his lungs were on fire, and even then, George only pulled an inch away. "It would've been better if you'd never stopped," he whispered, and before Dream knew what was happening, their lips met, and his back was against the cold bed of the truck. 

Everything felt like a blur. He couldn't hear anything over the sound of his own breath, and George shifting to sit atop his hips as he cupped his cheek with a hand and brought them both back into another heated kiss. This felt so real. Too real. And if this was real...

Dream broke the kiss this time with a smirk, eyes narrowing slightly. He grabbed George by the shoulder and pushed him backwards, down against the bed of the truck and crawled on top of him. "This is better," he grinned, and he leaned down into another rough kiss, holding George by the collar of his shirt. George's hands grasped at Dream's hips with a small mewl of a noise, and it made Dream soar in satisfaction. Movements and time began to blur, and before he knew it, his lips were on George's neck in a way that he knew would leave a mark. They were both breathless and flushed, and suddenly the night didn't seem so cold.

-

The banging sound made Dream nearly jump out of his skin. His head snapped up, and he looked around. It was pitch black, but his eyes were adjusted to the dark. He took in his surroundings, fists gripping his covers. He'd been asleep. It had been a dream.

He'd just had an erotic fantasy about his friend that was mad at him for a reason he had no idea about.


	3. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Well like, if there was a song that reminded me of someone or something, I'd listen to it before bed a few times, and then when I fell asleep, I'd have a dream surrounding that person and or thing. I do it sometimes when I need to clear my head, or... if I just really want to see someone."
> 
> The words struck a chord in his chest. He hated that the first thought that jumped to his head was, has he ever tried to make me come to life in his dreams? Of course not. Why would he? They're just friends. He probably did that with, like, distant family or girls he had a crush on. Why waste such effort on him of all people? His stupid American friend?

Dream bolted upright and gasped for air like a drowning man. One hand clutched his pounding heart through his shirt as the banging sound resounded through his ears, and the realization continued to set in. He'd dreamt about George. About wanting him. About kissing him. About...

Dream let out a groan, burying his face in his hands. Fuck.

Dealing with intense erotic fantasies of your best friend of 5+ years was a problem that sleepy Dream was not ready to face yet. However what he was ready to deal with was whatever just made that banging sound in his house. If there was a murderer snooping around, he felt he had a right to know. He let his eyes wander the darkened room, and it finally struck him as to what time it was. He must've fallen asleep around, what, six? How long had he slept for? He peeked though the blinds. No sign of sunlight, that was for sure. He fumbled at his bedside table for his phone, clicking it on and glancing down.

One in the morning. 

Another audible groan was heard as he swung his legs out from underneath the covers and clambering to his feet on wobbly knees. The air was cold against his flushed skin, still tingling where George's hands had been what felt like only seconds ago. He swallowed dryly. Focus on the task at hand, Dream. There might be someone currently breaking into your house.

He shook his head to clear it, taking a silent step forward towards the door and resting his fingertips against the knob. He listened for a moment, ear pressed against the door. He didn't hear anything unusual now; no one was walking around, he didn't hear any stirring amidst the clutter of papers and mess around his house, so no windows were open. He turned the doorknob and walked out of the comfort of his room wearing nothing but thin boxers. Let's hope there wasn't an intruder, for multiple reasons.

Phone still clutched in a white-knuckled grip, he raised it to chest level and hastily flicked on his flashlight. There was an unappreciative hiss from a bristled furry blob on the counter, and Dream let out a chuckle of relief. It was just Patches. She'd knocked something over as she snooped around the counter looking for scraps of human food he'd left behind. "Hey, honey," Dream chuckled quietly, shutting his flashlight off and placing his phone down. For once, he was grateful that Patches had woken him up. He needed to get out of that dream. 

He scooped the soft bundle of warm fur to his chest, fingers combing through the silky striped fur as he allowed his mind to wander again now that he was out of imminent danger. There had to be a reasonable, rational explanation for this, right?

He was still fairly young. Young people have weird hormones as their brain tries to figure themselves out. Hormones made people think and do weird things, even if they didn't truthfully mean them. This had to be that. Just a trick of the mind. George was the last person he'd thought about before bed, tiring himself out with worry and a song that reminded him of him, so it only made sense that he would show up to Dream in his sleep. 

Right?

Well, regardless, there wasn't much he could do about it now. It was one in the morning, and Dream was wide awake. He set Patches down, filled her bowl for an early breakfast, picked his phone back up and flopped down on the couch. He tapped his phone to life, and froze when he saw a few texts from George. That's right, England was hours ahead of him. George was already awake. 

He gnawed on his bottom lip, before allowing himself to read the messages.

_Gogy: Gonna be a busy day, you ready for a bunch of streams?_

Dream found himself smiling the smallest bit. At least everything was still normal on George's end, even if Dream felt like his world was falling apart right under his feet. 

_Dream: Ready as I'll ever be._

The response was immediate. So quick it made Dream double take. 

_Gogy: What the hell are you doing up? Go to bed, Dream_

He smiled, typing his reply. _How nice of you to care for my well-being. I already slept. Fell asleep early. Don't worry your pretty little head about it._

Something that seemed like such a dull figure of speech suddenly was making his heart do laps in his chest. Pretty. He'd called George pretty in some degree, right? Would George think that was weird? Why would he? They flirt back and forth all the time, hell, half their collective fanbase already thinks they're dating behind the scenes. One slip of the tongue can't mean anything. 

_Gogy: Still. It's late, and we have a busy day so you need your rest_

_Dream: What are you, mother hen? I'm fine, seriously._ And then a thought hit him. _Since we're both up, why don't we do something? Just the two of us? No servers, no codes, no mods, no audience, no bullshit. Just multiplayer vanilla Minecraft with a friend._

Dream's hands were beginning to shake with the amount of pressure he felt. He wanted to see George, to talk to him, to relax with him. Maybe it would get his mind off of things. Get some closure. Shut his brain and his heart up.

_Gogy: I mean, if you're sure you'll be awake enough for the actual streams today, let's do it_

Dream nodded, but he wasn't exactly sure to who. Himself? He sent George a confirmation text before standing up and getting dressed, heading over to his computer desk and flopping down, waiting and listening to his computer begin its long startup process. After a minute of waiting and idly drumming his fingers over the grooves in his desk, he booted up Discord and Minecraft.

_Ready to call?_

He waited for George's reply while starting up a new world. New world, new beginnings, right? A fresh start, in a normal world, where everything made sense again. Worlds away from these new and confusing feelings. 

George sent a thumbs up, and before long, he heard the familiar Discord jingle playing. He picked it up and was greeted with George's face. The face that made his breath catch in his throat, the face that made all words run dry before leaving his lips, the face that was so unmistakably and perfectly him.

Why did Dream think he was equipped for this?

"Good morning, Dream," George spoke with a small grin, "or should I say goodnight, or-?"

"Morning works, I guess, technically," Dream replied. "I started a new world, I hope you don't mind. Figured that maybe we could have something to ourselves." 

George shrugged. "That's fine by me," he said, and there were a few clicks of a mouse to signify that he was on his way to joining Dream's world. "Almost there."

"Cool," Dream replied, leaning back against his chair as his avatar idly punched the air as he waited. His heart was hammering so loudly he could hear it in his ears, and his hands were shaking so much it was difficult to control anything at all in-game. When George finally joined, Dream had enough sense at least to begin punching trees and gathering wood; the most basic aspect of the game that he, a world record speed runner, had momentarily forgotten all because of George. 

All because of the way George's smile was branded into the walls of his mind. Because of the way that voice bounced around his head like an unfinished melody, the way it left him yearning for more. What exactly did he want? What was he hoping to gain from this? He wanted to shove it down. He tried to, anyway. But it kept biting at the back of his brain like a leech, sucking any conscious logical thought away. Eventually he bargained with himself that it was best to come to the root of these problems. Figure out what exactly it was that he wanted. 

"Dreeeam?" George called, accentuating his vowels. "Earth to Dream?"

"What? Oh, hey, sorry, I was zoning out, I guess," Dream spluttered out, character sprinting over to another tree to do something to keep himself busy, distract himself from what he'd been thinking about. "Did you say something?"

"I asked how you slept last night," George repeated, tone seeming a touch concerned, and it both made Dream feel warm and cared for and dreadful. The less George cared about him right now, the better he imagined he'd feel. "You said you went to bed really early. Was there a reason for that?"

"Just, uh... tired, I guess. You know," Dream shrugged, gnawing on the bottom of his lip again as he moved to yet another tree. He'd never gathered this much wood, and if it kept up, he'd wind up decimating this whole forest. "I was just listening to some music and drifted off."

"What kind of music?" George asked, just trying to make conversation, but seeming to hit all the points that Dream didn't want to talk about. 

"It was a song I'd never heard before. Uh, Electric Love, I think it was called?"

"By BØRNS? That song is good!" George cheered, grinning wider, and it made Dream's heart soar. He'd do anything for that smile, and the realization made him sick. 

"Yeah, I actually saw you listening to it yesterday and decided to give it a shot," Dream admitted. "I liked it."

"I'm glad. I can give you some more recs if you'd like," George offered. "I have quite a few songs like that."

"Sometime you should," Dream said, the smile in his voice audible. 

"I can't listen to music right before bed. At least nothing like, really scary or eerie or anything," George inputted as he began leveling out a place for what Dream assumed was going to be their main base. 

"Really, why not?" Dream asked, splitting the stack of wood he had into two 32 piece stacks, tossing one to George while he made a crafting table, a wooden axe, and went back to gathering wood. He was almost entirely on autopilot, more invested in George's voice and his words than any game. 

"I've noticed that any music I listens to somehow impacts my dreams, if that makes sense? So if I listen to like, a horror movie soundtrack before I go to bed, I might have a nightmare, or a nightmare where I'm in that movie or something." George began to lay the foundation for a small house, placing it nicely on the shore of a small lake surrounded by birch trees and tulips. It was pretty. 

"Oh, really?" That would make sense. Maybe Dream had done that last night, and that's why George showed up. He associated that song with him, so George showed up in his dream. The song was about love, so the dream had been about love as well. He relaxed, letting out a breath he hadn't known he was holding and hoped wasn't audible. See? Perfectly reasonable, logical, rational explanation for it. "That happens to me sometimes, too."

"You ever use it to your advantage?" George asked, towering up to build one of the corners before dropping down, avatar flashing red with a bit of fall damage before towering up again. "Like, you ever listen to a song that you know will make you think of something just to dream about it?"

Dream blinked. "No, I can't say I ever have done that. I didn't even know that I could do the music association thing until really recently." _Last night, even._ "Do you? Use it to your advantage I mean. How would that even work?"

"Well like, if there was a song that reminded me of someone or something, I'd listen to it before bed a few times, and then when I fell asleep, I'd have a dream surrounding that person and or thing. I do it sometimes when I need to clear my head, or... if I just really want to see someone."

The words struck a chord in his chest. He hated that the first thought that jumped to his head was, _has he ever tried to make me come to life in his dreams?_ Of course not. Why would he? They're just friends. He probably did that with, like, distant family or girls he had a crush on. Why waste such effort on him of all people? His stupid American friend?

"Oh, that's cool," Dream responded lamely, silently facepalming at the clear lack of inattention in his voice. It wasn't that he wasn't listening or caring exactly. He was, much more than he should have been. But he was just thinking about ten thousand different things George could've used that kind of superpower on. Wondering if, even in the slightest chance, it could've been him.

"Yeah, I guess. I've been able to do it since I was little," George walked by the crafting table and crafted a few doors, putting them at the front of the house. Dream was currently mining, finally snapping out of his autopilot enough to do something useful. 

Dream gave a hum in response, mining out the rest of an iron vein before heading back up and making a furnace, beginning to smelt. The sun was beginning to set already, which gave the furnace the dimmest glow. It was eerily familiar. George stood on the other side, against the wall of the house, a dim light between the two of them... 

Dream cringed. Come on. Snap out of it. You're not helping yourself any. 

"You seem like you have a lot on your mind today."

The statement hit Dream like a truck, and his head jerked up to look at his screen, and then to George, who he was almost concerned had seen the thoughtful look on his face even though his camera was off. "Yeah, I guess so."

"We're talking a lot about dreams. Did you have any last night?" George asked innocently, placing a few torches around the place as it continued to grow darker. 

Dream stepped inside of the house, leaving the door open behind him for George. "Yeah. I guess that's just what I've been thinking about."

"What was it about?" George asked, stepping in behind Dream and closing the door.

"A friend of mine," Dream remarked vaguely. "We were spending time together in the back of a truck outside, under the stars. Just talking, relaxing... it was kind of nice."

"That does sound nice," George smiled, and it made Dream's heart leap again. "Here, while you were off in your tree-chopping la la land, I got us beds," George's avatar tossed Dream a lime colored bed. The tiny act of thoughtfulness made him smile. George was always so careful about these things, despite being colorblind. 

Dream set the bed down and got inside, and then saw George's little smirk. The familiar smirk of a man who was about to make a joke that he thought was funny, but no one else would probably agree. "Dream, can I place my Minecraft bed next to yours?"

Dream let out a little laugh, feeling his cheeks flush slightly and he hated it. "A bit forward, are we, George?" Dream grinned. "Yeah, go ahead. We can lay together and have a little sleepover."

"We could, actually," George suddenly remarked. "What time is it for you?"

"A little after two," Dream glanced back at George's face cam. "Why?"

"I still think you should get a bit more sleep before the streams today, and I have to finish up some last minute code tweaks, so... what if we just had a chill call? I can work on my programming, you can lay down, we can have some profound conversations and then all is well."

"Are you proposing a sleep call?"

Dream took an anxious sip of the water from the bottle on his desk, head swimming with a dense kind of fog he couldn't explain. The idea of falling asleep to George on the other end of the line made him feel so relaxed, almost like George was really there. But he wouldn't be. What if he had another dream, and he woke up in a frenzy like he had before? Worse, what if he spoke in his sleep and said his name? How would he talk himself out of that one?

"Ah, I'm really not tired, George," Dream said, even though the words pained him to say. He'd love to fall asleep with George. "But I honestly kinda like the idea. Maybe sometime when we can both sleep?"

"I'd be fine with that," George smiled. "But I do have to work on that coding, so I'm gonna have to leave our Minecraft adventure here for now. Please, please at least lay down and try to go to sleep, Dream? Please? For me?"

Dream chuckled at the other's antics, and he wasn't sure what came over him when he spoke out a quick, "for you, George."

George smiled in response, before giving a little wave. "Rest well!" And the call disconnected.

Dream let out a small sigh, running a hand down his face as he didn't even bother shutting off his computer, mechanically walking to his bed and flopping down with a soft grunt. What was wrong with him? Why was George the live wallpaper in his skull? Why was he all he could see, all he could think about? What were all of these feelings that he felt whenever he did think about him? The anxiety in the pit of his stomach, the way his fingers shook when he tried to reply to him, the way all of his stupid jokes made him smile now, even if they weren't funny. 

What was wrong with him?


	4. Manifest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The world went dark, until Dream opened his eyes and saw an angel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you guys for all the love! i appreciate it so much. hope you like this chapter :)

Dream tossed and turned, glancing at his phone before setting it down only to pick it back up a minute later. He moved his eyes to stare at the ceiling, gnawing at his bottom lip until he tasted metal. He couldn't get his brain to shut off. Everything he thought about ran him down the rabbit hole and eventually wound up at George. His smile, the sparkle in his eyes, the way he giggled Dream's name, and the way "Clay" fell from his lips so effortlessly yet it sent Dream up the wall. He was restless. He couldn't keep laying here. He had to do something, he had to get out. 

He ripped the blankets off of him and clambered to his feet, grabbing his AirPods and phone and a light jacket, making sure Patches bowls were filled, and then robotically walked down the steps and onto the landing. He placed his fingertips against the cool metal, before hearing a mew from his feet. He glanced down to see a confused Patches rubbing against his shin, peering up at him. There was something he couldn't put his finger on. Even the cat seemed to know something he didn't. 

He reached down to scoop the creature into his arms, pressing a kiss to her head and swaying her in his arms for a moment. "It's alright, Patches, I'll be back real soon," he promised with a smile. "Just going for a walk." 

Another mew, and Patches' claws sunk into his hoodie. It was almost as if she was pleading him not to go. He let out a chuckle at her antics, gently removing her claws from the fabric. "C'mon Patches, this is a merch sample," he lightly teased before setting her down and opening the door. The brisk night air hit him, and he already felt better. He waved at Patches before stepping out of the door and down the two steps. He shoved his hands in his pockets, flipping his hood up as he began to walk down the side of the road.

The streetlights amber glow was obscured by a thick fog that coated the air like a blanket. It was so dense that Dream felt like he could hardly see his feet walking along the asphalt, but he was still cautious enough to be sure not to step on any cracks. He wasn't sure why he did that, it was just a habit he'd held since he was a child. And, he supposed it was a bit childish; but it was as natural as breathing to him, so he didn't try too hard to fight it. He knew it was an unbeatable habit. 

It wasn't very cool, though it was definitely cooler than it had been in his house. Far more humid, though. The air was almost sticky with warm moisture, and he found himself wishing he hadn't brought a jacket. It hadn't even occurred to him where he was going. Where _was_ he going? His head lifted from the pavement, feet falling into a rhythm he knew would keep him from stepping on cracks. Even as he looked around, he wasn't sure where he was going. His feet were just taking him, and he was along for the ride. He supposed that was fine to stop worrying about something for once. 

He reached into his pocket and drew out his AirPods, slipping them into his ears with a small hum as he then pulled out his phone to begin scrolling through his music. His thumb hovered over Electric Love for a moment, before continuing to scroll. No, he knew what that would lead him to, and that was the very thing he was trying to run from. But that's the thing about internal problems; you can run until your legs give out, but you'll find that your brain is still in your skull. Still in your body. Still thinking. You can't run from yourself. 

He decided to click on a Melanie Martinez playlist, slipping his phone back into his pocket again as the music filled his ears, drowning out the sounds of the world around him. Before he knew it, he was humming along to the familiar tunes. This was just what he needed indeed, a long walk and some good music to drown his thoughts out. He wasn't sure how long he was walking for, but his legs were beginning to ache, and the fog was only seeming to grow denser. If he doesn't turn around soon, he'll be miserable when he gets back. 

Well, at least he'll sleep well.

He spun on his heel in time with the beat, grinning as he began walking forward again, eyes downward to not step on the cracks. The cracks that were getting strangely more illuminated. His brows furrowed, before it hit him all at once. His head snapped up and he gasped as the car barreled straight towards him. He didn't hear the honking until it was feet away from him. He understood the phrase "deer in the headlights" now. He froze, eyes wide as saucers, and then he was on the ground. He gasped for air, the impact robbing the air from his lungs, and his AirPods from his ears. His mouth opened and closed as he wheezed for breath, hearing car doors slam as well as a voice screaming, "Call 911!"

And that's when he was robbed of his consciousness, too.

-

The world came back to him in small bits and pieces. His hearing was first. "Sir, you've been here for twelve hours, I'm afraid we'll have to ask you to go."

"What are you talking about? That's my best friend laying in that hospital bed! I'm not going anywhere!"

"Sir, you're not family, and therefore you can't stay here overnight. I'm sorry, we have to ask you to go."

Who was that? He should know, the voice sounded painstakingly familiar, but his mind couldn't connect the dots. Everything was blurry and only half in focus. After hearing came the small twitches of his fingers in an attempt to move. His eyelids fluttered, and his lips just hardly parted. Everything ached, but he managed to pry his eyes open. Quite like his mind, his eyes were also blurry. He managed to swallow, taking a small, shallow breath. White pain seared through his ribcage, and it made him grunt in surprise, which caught both of the others in the room's attention.

"You're awake!" 

Dream finally put the pieces together, offering a weak smile. "Sapnap, hey..."

Sapnap rushed over to his side, kneeling beside him. "Dude, are you okay? God, we were so fucking worried."

"Sorry," Dream apologized lamely, still gathering his bearings. Everything was so bright, and it all hurt. He tried to take another breath and winced, arms wrapping around his torso. "Fuck."

"Can't you get him some pain reliever?" Sapnap urged from his side, turning towards who Dream could now identify as the doctor. "He's clearly in pain!"

"We can get him some, yes," The doctor nodded his head, marking something on his clipboard before turning his head towards a nurse that Dream hadn't even noticed in the corner of the room. She'd been so still and so silent. The silent nurse gave the doctor a nod, slipping out of the room.

The door closed and latched behind her, and then the room, too, was shrouded in silence. Eventually, Dream piped up. "...so what happened?"

"You got hit by a car, and it's a miracle you even survived. You've been comatose for four days," The doctor explained, trying to remain calm.

Dream's mouth went dry, and his head jerked to Sapnap. He ignored the pain that shot through his body, more focused on trying to confirm this ridiculous statement. "Sapnap, four days?"

"Yeah, man," Sapnap sighed. "Everyone's been freaking out. We had to update your social medias and all. You got trending, at least. #PrayForDream. Pretty cool, right?" Sapnap offered him his phone, and sure enough, the hashtag was number two on trending. 

He let out a surprised chuckle. "Damn," was all he could say.

Sapnap smiled sympathetically. "Lame question, but how do you feel?"

"Like shit," Dream croaked. "Everything hurts, and I feel like I'm being stabbed every time I breathe."

"Yeah, well, you very nearly were," Sapnap explained. "Your ribs were broken, and if they had moved an inch more, they'd have punctured your lung and that would've probably been fatal." The words sank in, and Dream stared at him in silent astonishment. The words hung in the air, thick enough to cut with a knife. Finally, Sapnap spoke up again. "There's someone else here who came to see you, too."

Dream nodded his head slowly, resting it against the bed. He had figured as much. He was surprised his mom and Drista hadn't torn down his door and refused to leave the moment he set foot inside the hospital. "Where are they?"

"Waiting outside, they had already left for the night but I texted them to come back when you woke up. They'll be here any second," he promised, sitting down in a chair beside Dream's bed. "Scared 'em shitless. The hell were you even doing, walking in the road at night?"

Dream winced. What was he supposed to say, that George had become the coating of his eyelids? That whenever things came to a lull, George flooded his mind? That he had an erotic fantasy dream about him and ever since then had been sexually confused? That it was all driving him insane?

"Had a lot on my mind. Trying to clear my head," he muttered in a dismissive tone. Sapnap gave him a look of disbelief, but didn't press further. And that's when the door creaked open.

Dream let his eyes close, getting ready for an interrogation like no other. But there was only frantic footsteps, and then a set of arms flinging themselves around him.

Dream let out a gasp. "Easy, easy! It hurts!" He protested, his eyes snapping open to be met with short black hair. What? That wasn't his mom, or Drista for that matter. 

"Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you, are you okay?" A small chuckle.

Dream felt his mouth go dry, and his heart start to beat out his chest. His mouth hung open, but no words made their way out for what felt like a lifetime. He remained frozen in the moment, eyes scanning every inch of the face before him, inches away. He can't remember the last time he'd been so close to someone.

_"George?"_


	5. Confessions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guys,,, i woke up this morning to 5 comments, double the kudos we had before, double the hits, and i cried. i'll be honest. i really did. thank you all so so so much. you have no idea how much it means to me :') i hope that you like this chapter! thank you for all of the support, it really truly brightened my whole day <3 enjoy!

The name fell from his lips as the other male with the raven hair smiled. "Hell of a first meeting, right?" George let out a small laugh, running a hand through his hair to tidy it after running all this way. "Seriously though, I didn't mean to hurt you, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm... I'm fine," Dream nodded his head slowly, taking in all of George's features. His cheekbones, the pink of his lips, the depth in his brown eyes, the white of his teeth when he smiled. He almost didn't believe it was real. But it had to have been. The pain he was in was unimaginable, there was no way this was a dream. 

The door opened and closed again, and George stepped closer to Dream's bedside to get out of his line of sight. Dream watched the nurse re-enter, but with George so close, he could feel the warmth radiating off of him. It was distracting. He gave a feeble smile at the nurse, who held an IV bag and was heading his way. "This is morphine," the nurse told him. "It will take the edge off the pain, but it also has various other side effects. In some patients it lowers their inhibitions, similar to alcohol. You may not be yourself for a little while, but on the bright side, it may bring some laughter in this trying time." She offered a sympathetic smile, hooking the IV bag to the stand.

Dream gave a small nod. At this point, he was just about ready to do anything to get the pain away. He gave her his arm and the nurse inserted the IV, and he let out a small sigh, waiting for the pain to subside. His eyes wandered back to George, who had been standing beside him but trying not to get in the way. "We'll leave you three for now since he's awake," the doctor replied, motioning for the nurse to walk with him out of the room. The door closed with a click, and Dream let out another small breath, head beginning to feel a bit light and airy after a few moments. At least the pain was subsiding. 

"How do you feel?" George asked, sitting at the foot of Dream's bed. 

"As good as someone who just got hit by a car can," he grinned, head slowly lolling over to look at Sapnap. "Did you do this?"

Sapnap's brows furrowed, an amused smile on his face. The drug was taking effect that quickly? "Did I hit you with my car? No, Dream, I live in Texas."

"Texas..." Dream murmured, eyes closing. "Yeehaw." George and Sapnap both started laughing, which caused Dream to give a few loopy giggles. "No, I meant, did you bring him here?" He groggily motioned to George. "The Brit bitch."

George let out a choked sound followed by a small chuckle. "Dream!"

"Well, kinda. Your mom called me and told me what happened, so I told our friends about it and was able to post about it on Twitter and stuff, and then George dm'ed me and asked if I was going to visit you in the hospital. I said yes, I had booked a flight the next day, and so George booked a flight too. I didn't like, recruit him or anything. He came on his own," Sapnap explained. 

"Georgie wanted to see me that bad..." Dream giggled, looking over at him. "That's cute." George gave a confused little smile, the same smile he'd give whenever Dream made an inappropriate joke on stream when things were supposed to be "family friendly". "Where've you guys been staying?"

"In a hotel," George shrugged. "Felt like it was kind of rude to ask your mom to stay with her, so we just booked a hotel. Sap and I are sharing a room and splitting the cost."

Dream whistled, wiggling his eyebrows as his head fell against the pillow. "Gayyyyy."

"No, Dream," Sapnap laughed as George's cheeks tinted pink. "God, that drug really did wonders, huh?"

"I feel great!" Dream grinned, "feel like I could conquer the world."

"Let's start with conquering the hospital visit," George put a hand on Dream's arm to hold him in place, as if expecting him to spring out of bed and run laps. "You need a speedy recovery."

Was George speaking? Dream honestly didn't know, too distracted by the warmth of George's skin against his own. His touch was so delicate and light, as if too much pressure would break Dream. Green eyes gazed into brown ones, and suddenly it hit him. "This is the first time you've seen my face."

George gave a nod. "I mean, I'd seen it a long time ago when we first started talking but not in a few years, so... I guess this is an updated Dream face reveal," he grinned a bit. 

Was it just the drug, or was there a tension in the air? He glanced over at Sapnap, who's gaze was averted and looking out the window as if trying to ignore his own presence. So maybe something was up. He looked back at George, who had an angelic smile on his face. "I had a dream about you."

He hadn't even realized he'd said the words aloud until George raised his eyebrows with an amused grin. "What?"

"Oh." Dream blinked. "Sorry I didn't know I said that aloud. I said I had a dream about you," he said again, smiling a bit as he gazed up at George with what could only be described as fondness.

George's amused grin turned a bit nervous. "Yeah? What was the dream about?"

"Well we had met up, I had come to England to visit you," Dream began, closing his eyes to envision it in his mind. "We were laying in the back of a truck," he grinned a bit.

George laughed. "The back of a truck? Like, the back of a random truck?"

"Don't laugh, it was your truck!" Dream protested, opening his eyes to glance at George. 

" _My_ truck? I don't have a truck, Dream," George said, giggling through his sentence. 

"Well you did in the dream!" Dream protested, closing his eyes again. "So we were laying in the back of your truck. It was night time, and the only lights around were the moon, the stars, and we had a little... little uh..." Dream snapped his fingers quietly, searching for the word. "Glowy..."

"A glowy?" George let out another few giggles. "What the hell's a glowy?"

"No the...!" Dream groaned, "like the shit from Tangled!"

"Lanterns?" George snorted. 

"Yeahhh!" Dream opened his eyes again to give a thumbs up. "There were lanterns! There was one between us, and we were on opposite sides of the truck."

"Social distancing," George grinned.

"Shut up," Dream giggled, his eyes closing again. "We were on opposite sides, and we had a bunch of blankets and pillows and stuff, and... we were laying on our backs, and you asked me if I ever used to make up constellations as a kid. Apparently that was something you did."

"That's actually true," George said. "I used to do that all the time."

"I'm a psychic," Dream smirked. "I'm brilliant."

"Okay, easy, don't hurt yourself," George teased. "What happened then?"

"Well we started making up our own constellations. I found a penis," Dream giggled, electing a groan from George. "Yeah you did the same thing in my dream, too. I don't know why. I'm hilarious."

"What did I find?" George asked, clearly trying to change the subject to anything but the male private anatomy. 

"You found a fairy or something," Dream shrugged. "Like a... we called it a Cherub. The little love fairies."

"Love fairies," George echoed, raising an eyebrow. "Wonder why we found that."

"Who knows," Dream shrugged. "But then, uh..."

He trailed off. _"What if I kissed you? Would that be enough for you?"_ What was he supposed to say?

He was spared by the door opening, and the nurse came back in and moved over towards the two. "Just checking in," she said sweetly, "how do you feel, Clay?"

"Feelin' _goooooood_ ," Dream grinned, making everyone in the room laugh.

"That's good. The morphine setting in okay? Notice any negative side effects?" She asked, pulling out her clipboard, pen at the ready.

"Don't think so," Dream shook his head slowly. "I could be on this shit forever."

"Yeah, well, careful," George muttered. "It's addictive. I'm sure they'll monitor you and stuff but just be careful."

"You always worry so much," Dream groaned, eyes still closed as he turned his head to the side. "You did that in the dream, too. You were worried about me seeing your smile or some shit. Said you didn't like it. I called you out on your bullshit, because you have a beautiful smile..." What was he saying? Why couldn't he stop?

George suddenly blushed, and he glanced between Dream and the nurse. "He doesn't know what he's saying, he's drugged up," he let out an embarrassed laugh. 

"You kissed me, George, in my dream," Dream murmured, his head rolling back over as his eyelids fluttered open, taking in the blush that coated George's cheeks to his ears. "You asked if I was trying to make you blush, like that," he gestured to him weakly. "But you said I had to try harder. So I kissed you."

The room was silent, and even the nurse was stunned. She let out a small chuckle, before taking a few steps back. "I'll, um... leave you to talk things over."

The door closed again, and the room remained silent. "You kissed me?" George finally said, voice hardly above a whisper. "...why?"

"I don't know," Dream admitted. "It felt like the right thing to do in the moment."

George gave a small, hesitant nod. "Right..."

Dream's eyes were half closed, and his breathing was becoming slower. "George, I'm... sleepy," he murmured with a tired giggle.

George's smile turned fond, and his hand placed itself over Dream's. "Get some rest, Clay. We'll be here tomorrow to see you again."

"Clay..." Dream muttered tiredly. "I like it when you say my name like that."

George and Sapnap exchanged a quick glance, but when George went to speak again, Dream let out a small snore. George chuckled, standing up after giving his hand a delicate pat. "Sleep well," he wished, and then walked out of the room with Sapnap trailing behind him. 


	6. Calm Before the Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it's a bit short, i just had to get something out to get the ball rolling again! i lost motivation for a little bit but i think writing this got it back :) enjoy!

"George, I can't!" Dream giggled, flailing his arms as he struggled to stand upright. He latched onto George's arm that he had extended for him. "I'm gonna fall!"

"You're not going to fall!" George grinned, holding his hand and keeping him upright. "Come on, Dream. It's just little tiny steps! Watch me, watch," George drifted away from Dream just slightly, pushing one foot out in a v-formation, the other one gliding along and then moving beside it. "See? Just do that!"

"Easy for you to say!" Dream was still smiling as he wobbled, struggling to stay up on the thin blades. "It's going to hurt if I fall!"

"You won't fall. I _promise_ ," George said firmly, squeezing Dream's hand. "Go on. Take little steps."

Dream gave him a tiny smile, looking down at the ice. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, before shuffling one foot forward. He jerked, arms swinging to keep himself balanced, but George grabbed his arms and held him firmly, staring him in the eye with an encouraging smile. Dream offered another small smile in response, taking a deep breath again and sliding again. Not so much flail. Again, and again, until he was moving forward. He hadn't even realized George had let go and was across the rink in a matter of minutes. 

"George!" He called, smiling and giggling. "I did it! I'm skating!"

"I know! You're doing great!" George called, skating out to him and falling in line with him. "Isn't this relaxing? Just gliding across the ice like you're floating?"

"Yeah, but it hurts my ankles," Dream whined.

"You'll get used to that," George promised with a chuckle. "Ready to try a jump?"

"You crazy? I'm barely learning to walk!" Dream grinned, shoving his shoulder gently. George didn't even stumble, just gracefully hopped back into balance. "Show-off," he scoffed, and George laughed, tossing his head back for a moment. Dream watched, infatuated. With every laugh, a puff of steam escaped his parted lips. His cheeks and nose were tinted pink from the cold, and the brightness of the rink made his brown eyes seem deep and honeyed. 

"Dream!"

Dream whipped his head forward to see an incoming wall. He hadn't been paying attention to his surroundings. He gasped, over-correcting himself and rolling his ankle. He cried out, feeling himself beginning to go down. His arms flailed out as he tried to brace himself, before closing his eyes and waiting for painful impact. But it never came. He fell, but it was soft and warm. His eyes slowly opened, to see he'd landed on top of George.

George grunted, laughing breathlessly. "I told you I wouldn't let you fall," he gave a small grin. "But ow."

"Are you okay?" Dream quickly sat up, scooting off of him with a smile.

"I'm fine," George smiled, reaching a hand up to cup Dream's cold cheek. Dream melted into the touch with a quiet hum, letting his eyes close. He didn't notice George leaning in.

Warm lips pressed against his cold cheek first, and then drifted over to his own lips, leaving a trail of warm tingles in their wake. Dream's eyelids fluttered open only to be met with George's closed eyes and long black eyelashes. He slowly lifted his hand and put it against George's jaw, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. 

The world around them was so cold, but right here in this moment, everything was warm. Everything was alright. 

He woke up to a tickling feeling against his cheek, and his eyelids fluttered open. He stifled a yawn, looking around for what had awoken him. He was pleasantly surprised to see George's head on his chest, and with their breathing, his hair was brushing against his face. Dream looked around, wondering if anyone else was seeing this. Did George really fall asleep on him? He was so close. Dream wanted to kiss his forehead, wrap his arms around him, comb his fingers through his hair and fall back asleep. But that was crossing a line. An unspoken rule of friendship. An unwanted advance. 

He settled for sighing quietly, letting his eyes wander to the dim ceiling. it was dawn, the sun just barely beginning to lap its warm light over the treetops. It was the dimmest he'd ever seen a hospital room. He was so used to the blinding white lights that made it difficult to discern if you were alive or dead at first. 

There was a quiet groan, and Dream tensed, his breathing halting. His eyes flicked back down to the boy practically in his lap, whose brows furrowed and his jaw stretched with a yawn. His eyelids were still closed, and he moved one fist to gently rub at his shut eyes. When they finally opened, George jumped, and Dream gave a sympathetic chuckle. "Sorry, did I wake you?"

"No, no..." George shook his head, glancing at Dream's chest, of which his face was still inches away from. He had a red mark against his cheek from laying there, and his hair was matted on one side. Dream couldn't help but feel a warmth flood through his chest. It was adorable. Precious, even. He looked so cute. "I had just woken up myself anyway. Think the morphine wore off."

"Are you in pain, then?" George asked, backing up a bit. "Do you want me to call someone?"

"Uh..." Dream was then fronted with two options. He could get drugged back up and forget this ever happened, or he could see if George brought it up. Then he realized it wasn't a big deal. He probably just accidentally fell asleep sitting up. It happens all the time. It didn't mean anything. Just friends being concerned about friends. "Not yet. The pain isn't too bad."

"You sure?" George asked, brown eyes wide with concern.

"Promise," Dream gave a reassuring smile. 

"Well, hey..." George cleared his throat into his fist. "There is something I have to tell you. I flew out as soon as I could to see you because I was worried and wanted to be here, obviously. But I do have to be home soon, it's some kind of family thing. So... I leave tomorrow night."

The words hung in the air and sank Dream's optimism like an anchor.

"I'm sorry, Dream. I really wish I could stay. I wanted to stay longer. I might be able to come back after it, but it's a two week long excursion, so it'd be at least two weeks until I could, and then I don't know what the flights will look like, and--"

"It's okay," Dream interrupted with a small smile. "I get it, George. Don't worry about it. I'm going to see you off at the airport."

"What? Clay, you can hardly move!" George shook his head. "No, you're not. Maybe I can just ditch the family thing--"

"No!" Dream blurted, shaking his head. "No way. I'm going to see you off, and then I'll go back here. Maybe if you come back I'll be a bit more healed up and we can actually hang out a bit."

"That sounds nice," George admitted with a small sigh. "But I really don't think you seeing me off is a good idea."

"It'll be fine. The nurses will probably insist on going with me anyway in case I fall down or something," Dream grinned. "It'll be fine, George. Really."

"Okay. Sorry for, uh... falling asleep on you," George said, heat rushing to his cheeks. "I just, I... uh--"

"Don't worry about it," Dream chuckled. "I thought it was cute."

He swallowed dryly, stomach doing a flip. Did he say that out loud? George's lips parted in astonishment for a moment, before letting out a quiet and high-pitched laugh. "Shut up," he grinned, "you're still a bit loopy from the morphine."

"Yeah, I guess so." He wasn't. 

And that was when the door opened, and in strutted Sapnap. "Hi guys," he said, glancing between Dream and George, who were still very close; neither of them eager to move away from each other's warmth.

"Uh, hey buddy," George let out a nervous chuckle. "Something you need?"

"Yes, to talk to Dream," Sapnap said, glancing at the boy in question. "Like, ASAP. Privately."


	7. Sweater Weather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "So you should tell him," Sapnap urged. "You never know. It might go good."
> 
> Dream shook his head, "or it could go terribly, and I could lose him altogether. I can't handle that."
> 
> Sapnap gave a sympathetic hum followed by a sigh. "I don't think you'd lose him over this."
> 
> "You know how awkward he is," Dream pressed, "things would never be the same."
> 
> "But do you want them to be?" Sapnap leaned forward, looking Dream in the eye. "Do you really want things to continue on this way, forever?"
> 
> Dream's words died out on his tongue, and he looked away. No, no he didn't. He couldn't stand to lose George, but... if things kept on like this forever, he couldn't stand that either. Lying to himself, lying to George, lying to the internet, forever? Sounds like hell. These feelings were going to eat him alive if he didn't do something about them soon. "...so what do I do?"
> 
> "You tell him, Clay. You tell him, and you don't worry about what happens next. You just trust that everything will be okay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i recommend listening to the song "she" by dodie clark before reading this chapter, as it sums up dream's mindset really well! happy reading! also ayo second chapter in one day!! pog

Dream glanced at Sapnap, and then at George, and back at Sapnap. "Uh... okay? George, do you wanna...?"

"Yeah, I can step out for a sec," George stood up, looking rather concerned. "Be back in a few, I guess?"

Dream gave a small nod, and watched George walk towards the door. Once it shut, his eyes flicked to Sapnap. "Is everything okay?"

"I don't know, you tell me! What's with you?" Sapnap marched towards him, sitting in the chair George had been in moments before. "What were you saying last night?"

Dream blinked, then dread settled into his stomach. Oh no. "Under the morphine?"

"Yeah! You were saying crazy shit!"

Dream felt his face go pale, and he struggled not to begin hyperventilating. "What did I say?" He said immediately.

"A _lot!"_ Sapnap groaned. "You said you had a dream about George, you said you tried to make him blush--" Dream feared where this was going, clenching his jaw and digging his fingers into the sheets. "--and you said you _kissed_ him!"

The world stopped turning.

It was silent, for how long, Dream couldn't tell you. He swallowed, before trying to speak again. All that came out was a pathetic whimper. "I did?"

"Yeah, dude!" Sapnap ran a hand through his hair. "You fuckin' did! Did you mean it? Did that really happen?" Dream gave a tiny, shaky nod. Sapnap leaned back against the chair and stared at him, mouth slightly agape. "...well, fuck, dude. What does that mean?"

"I don't know," Dream said in a tiny voice. "I've been trying to figure it out, too."

"Well do you... I mean, are you... Y'know?"

"Gay?"

"Yeah, that."

Dream huffed, glancing to the side at the awkward question. This was the last conversation on Earth he wanted to have. "...I don't know, Sapnap. I don't really understand anything of what's happening."

"Well... do you like him?" Sapnap asked a more simple question to answer.

"Is... it wrong, if I do?" Dream asked, looking down at his hands, which were picking at the cuticles anxiously. "I mean, am I allowed to? Is it wrong?"

"I mean... no?" Sapnap shrugged his shoulders, brows knit in concern. "You can't help your feelings, man. If you're in love with him, then be in love with him. Do you know how he feels?"

"No," Dream sighed. "This is the first time I've ever even met him in person."

"Wait, so you were feeling this way before you guys even met?" Sapnap asked, dumbfounded. "Damn. Seeing him must be... a trip, then."

"No kidding," Dream wheezed, letting his head flop against the mattress. "Fuck, Sapnap. What do I do?"

"Well, he's leaving tomorrow, right?" Sapnap leaned forward slightly. "Why don't you tell him how you feel? That way, if it's bad, at least he won't... be here. You can deal with it when he's an ocean away."

"Tell him how I feel?" Dream let out a bitter laugh, "I don't even know how I feel, Sapnap! What, do I tell him I had an erotic fantasy about him?"

"Maybe!" Sapnap groaned, "I don't know! I'm not good at feelings either! I'm the last person on Earth you should ask!"

Dream sighed, running a hand down his face. It was quiet again for a few moments, before Sapnap spoke up again. "Well... let's try to work out your feelings right now, then."

"How?" Dream croaked miserably. "I can't make sense of anything."

"Sometimes you need a third person, an unbiased perspective to tell you how things appear instead of someone tangled up in the intensity of it all. Let's just start talking about things," Sapnap suggested. 

"What are you, a therapist?"

"No, I'm a couples counselor in training," Sapnap teased with a grin.

Dream gave a weak smile, before sighing again. "Okay. Where do I start?"

"I'll just ask you some questions," Sapnap said, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "Okay. Firstly, when you think about George, what comes to mind?"

"Peace," Dream said instantly. "Safety, warmth... Electric Love."

"Electric Love?" Sapnap raised his eyebrows. "The hell does that mean?"

"It's a song that I saw him listening to once. Now I think of him when I hear it," Dream smiled, eyes glazing over as song lyrics filled his brain. 

"How does... that song make you feel?" Sapnap asked, voice softening.

"Like a summer romance in the rain," Dream murmured, smile still spreading across his features. "The world melting away as you hold each other in your arms, hearing the thunder overhead as the rain just pours down. In the middle of the night, in a park, maybe. Just the two of you. And a feeling of relief, like rain during a drought. It makes me want to do something stupid."

"And what would that be?" Sapnap asked, even though he felt he already knew the answer.

"Kiss him. Kiss George."

It was quiet again for a long time. Sapnap spoke up again. "Any other songs that make you think of him?"

"A lot, actually. He's wormed his way into my brain, enveloping my every thought. I guess there is one that makes me think of him in particular. Uh, Sweater Weather? By the Neighborhood?" Dream chuckled sheepishly. 

"Oh my god," Sapnap snickered. "Of course."

"Shut up!"

"Okay, okay! How does _that one_ make you feel?"

Dream wet his lips, before pressing them together as his eyes stared down at nothing, completely lost in his mind. "I want to do more than sweetly kiss him. I want to see his lips reddened and puffy, I want to hear him panting for breath with my name on his tongue. I want those brown eyes to stare up at me from his position on his back. I want to loom over him and treat him good, show him how much I love him..."

"Okay, okay, I'm gonna stop you there," Sapnap winced. "As much as I support you two, I really don't want to hear you talk about how much you want to fuck him."

"Sapnap!" Dream's face went red as he let out a giddy laugh, like a teenager gossiping about their latest crush.

Sapnap let out another laugh, smiling at his friend. "I mean, you hear yourself, right? This isn't just a friendship. Clearly your feelings have crossed some line."

Dream winced. "I guess so..."

"So you should tell him," Sapnap urged. "You never know. It might go good."

Dream shook his head, "or it could go terribly, and I could lose him altogether. I can't handle that."

Sapnap gave a sympathetic hum followed by a sigh. "I don't think you'd lose him over this."

"You know how awkward he is," Dream pressed, "things would never be the same."

"But do you want them to be?" Sapnap leaned forward, looking Dream in the eye. "Do you really want things to continue on this way, forever?"

Dream's words died out on his tongue, and he looked away. No, no he didn't. He couldn't stand to lose George, but... if things kept on like this forever, he couldn't stand that either. Lying to himself, lying to George, lying to the internet, forever? Sounds like hell. These feelings were going to eat him alive if he didn't do something about them soon. "...so what do I do?"

"You tell him, Clay. You tell him, and you don't worry about what happens next. You just trust that everything will be okay."

Seemed like a lot, and definitely easier for Sapnap to say than Dream. But overall, it was good advice. Just stay calm. Trust the process.

Dream gave a small nod, sighing and laying down, reaching for his AirPods. "I need to think," he looked up at Sapnap. "Rain check?"

"Rain check," he agreed, heading for the door. "Want me to send George in?"

"Not right now. Go get something to eat together or something, this is your first time meeting too, right? Go have fun," Dream grinned.

"You sure, man? We're here for you, not each other."

"Goooo!" Dream grinned, waving a hand. "I'm fine."

Sapnap nodded, closing the door behind him. Dream's eyes wandered back to the ceiling, and he slipped his AirPods in.

_She knows what I think about_

_And what I think about_

_One love, two mouths_

_One love, one house_

_No shirt, no blouse_

_Just us, you find out_

_Nothin' that I really wanna tell you about, no_

_Cause it's too cold for you here_

_and now_

_So let me hold_

_Both your hands in the holes of my sweater._


	8. Requiem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dream's hand moved to cup the phone, gently rubbing his thumb along the smooth, cool case, as if it were delicate, pale skin. "Does he... look peaceful? Is he sleeping?"
> 
> There was a pause. "Yeah, he looks pretty comfy, I guess."
> 
> Dream let out a small, bitter laugh. "Well that answers that," he began gnawing on his bottom lip again. "I haven't slept all night, Sap. These feelings are eating me alive and driving me up the wall. If he's sleeping soundly, then he must not feel the same."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys!! short chapter this time but a long and eventful one coming very soon so stick around for that 👀

Dream hadn't slept all night, and neither George or Sapnap had come to stay with him that night per his request. He needed time to consider his options carefully. Every possible outcome. Going from most favorable, to least. Let's say he does tell George, and his feelings are reciprocal. They kiss in the airport in a dramatic Hallmark filmesque scene, talk those whole two weeks while he's with his family, and then meet up again and everything goes great. They eventually start dating, and then possibly down the line get married.

That's the best case scenario. It's all down-hill from here.

What if he tells him his feelings, and they aren't reciprocated? Maybe Sapnap is right and it wouldn't change anything, but what if it does? What if George thinks it's weird and distances himself from him, or says that he doesn't want to be friends anymore? How will he explain that to the subscribers, to their mutual friends, how will he be able to cope with that himself? He bit his bottom lip and stared blankly at the ceiling, letting the thoughts swarm his head. Well, what if he didn't say anything? What if he watched George walk off that plane and never says another word about these feelings? Nothing changes, right? What if George does return the feelings...? Will he be wallowing in sadness and dejectedness, thinking that Dream friend-zoned him? What if these things he's writing off as nothing more than friendly gestures actually turn out to be hints that George is trying to place, and that Dream is purposefully casting aside? What if George stops making advances out of fear that Dream doesn't feel the same? Isn't that just what he's doing?

Then, what if something happens to George before Dream gets the chance to tell him? What if the plane crashes, or what if another accident happens when he's out with his family, what if... he never gets the chance? What if this is it? Does he really want this strong of a feeling to die with George? Hell, what if there's complications with his own health, and he takes a turn for the worst before George can come back to see him again? It's not like he's exactly in mint condition either, and logically it's more probable he'd get die than George. Would Sapnap tell him, or would George never know? He can't tell which is worse. 

A man can ramble and rattle of 'what-if's as long as he's alive, but no choices will be made off impulse. He's an impulsive person typically, but not with this. He has to time this, he has to make this perfect. He has to know he's making the right choice. He allowed his eyes to slip closed, and he begins to think back on everything that's been happening the past few days. Everything was fine, they were just streaming together like normal, doing a manhunt... 

Wait.

Dream's eyes snapped open. The conversation began to playback in his mind. 

_"I don't know, it's so hard to tell, y'know? I mean, we've been friends for so long... But lately something's just been... off."_

_"Off how?"_

_"I don't know... it's just not the same anymore, I guess."_

_"Do you think it's him, specifically? Something he did?"_

_"Yeah, I think it always has been Dream to some extent. It was okay at first, but as time grew on, it just got more and more intense... and now I don't know how to tell him about it without making things weird. I don't wanna lose him, y'know? But I can't keep on like this, either."_

Dream had forgotten the conversation that had been between Sapnap and George. Something he "wasn't supposed to hear". Something he'd done wrong. Something that he honestly thought would tear their friendship apart, before all these complicated feelings even started. Now everything's fine again, or is it? What was George talking about there? He still didn't know. Maybe he should find out before he makes any decisions. 

He pulled out his phone and glanced at the time. Four in the morning. Why did it seem that everything bad always happened around this time? He let out a sigh, before pressing Sapnap's contact and dialing. He pressed the phone against his ear, moving his thumb up to his mouth to anxiously bite at the nail. He didn't expect Sapnap to pick up, and was surprised when he heard a gruff "Dream, are you okay?" from the other end of the line.

"Sapnap," Dream didn't even try to mask the sheer relief in his voice. "Sorry, I probably woke you up. I just... this can't wait. With George leaving tomorrow and all, I just... have to know..."

"...where is this going?" 

"Remember a few days ago when we ended the stream on George's Twitch, and then I left to get food and you two were still in the call... you were talking about me," he swallowed. "Something I did. Something that was intense, that George said he couldn't keep dealing with if things were the same. What... what was that?"

Sapnap went quiet for a long time, and each second made Dream's anxiety skyrocket until he felt himself pleading into the phone. "Sapnap, please, I have to know, this is going to influence what I do tomorrow. You remember, don't you? Don't tell me you forgot--"

"...no, I know what you're talking about," Sapnap sighed tiredly. "Listen, I... like I told you I wouldn't tell George about your complicated feelings for him, there are some things that I told George I wouldn't tell you, either. it's not my place to... talk about this with you right now, without his knowing."

"Sapnap," Dream groaned. "I understand the loyalty and I respect that, but the biggest decision of my entire life up to this point is going to depend on the answer you give me right now. Please, buddy."

Another taut sigh. "I... Dream, I..." Dream could envision him pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration like he always did, the phone to his ear, laying on his side in the darkness of the hotel room. George was probably sleeping soundly right beside him. 

Why did that thought cause a spark of jealousy to prick at his heart?

"Is he there with you right now?" Dream asked, voice softer.

"Yeah, he's sleeping on the other side of the bed. It's-- it's not anything like that, Clay, I promise, there was just only one bed and with money and only getting one hotel room and all--"

"No, I know," Dream's hand moved to cup the phone, gently rubbing his thumb along the smooth, cool case, as if it were delicate, pale skin. "Does he... look peaceful? Is he sleeping?"

There was a pause. "Yeah, he looks pretty comfy, I guess."

Dream let out a small, bitter laugh. "Well that answers that," he began gnawing on his bottom lip again. "I haven't slept all night, Sap. These feelings are eating me alive and driving me up the wall. If he's sleeping soundly, then he must not feel the same."

"Dream..."

"No, it's fine," Dream sighed, leaning back against the mattress as he closed his eyes. "I'll let you get back to sleep. Sorry for waking you."

"Wait, Cl--"

Dream hung up and tossed the phone gently onto the bed. Maybe it was a stupid way to come to a conclusion, and maybe that _was_ impulsive, the thing he said he wouldn't be, but... it was to guard his heart. That's worthy enough of a little bit of foolish impulse. So it's settled, then. Tonight when he sees George off at the airport, he'll just leave his feelings as is. So what if something bad happens? It'll save him the embarrassment and the worries of losing George because of them. Besides, what if they just work themselves out anyway? Hormones are weird, sometimes these minor infatuations just come and go. It was fine. 

It had to be.


	9. This is Not Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "No," Dream breathed. "I thought it could. I was going to wait. It can't. I can't stop thinking about you, about-- if your flight crashes, about if I'm throwing away my only chance at telling you," Dream sat helplessly in the wheelchair. "I feel so small, and so helpless, and I don't want you to go, because I'm scared that if you leave, so will these feelings, and I'm not ready to let those go either," Dream met his gaze.
> 
> "Clay, what... are you...?" 
> 
> "I think I'm- I think I'm in love with you, George."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY. everyone stop what you're doing. this is a chapter that i've had in mind since day one of writing this fic. please listen to the song "this is not goodbye" by the sidewalk prophets! this song low-key inspired this whole fic so,,, it'd be cool if you listened to it! also, i'm SO sorry it took ten thousand years to update this again but we are BACK baby!  
> also i'm not very proud of this chapter :(( i might rewrite it?? i don't know. i lost motivation for this fic a TON, but i know there are people that want me to finish it, and i promised to you and myself i'd finish it, so i'm just trying to keep going. i'm sorry if this chapter isn't very good :((  
> i'm also also sorry this chapter is so short. i promised you a long one and i'm sorry, i got really discouraged i think because all of the fanfics i've been reading have such amazing writing and i know mine is far off from that. but i will finish this, no matter what, and maybe one day i'll go back and fix it up<3  
> enjoy

He didn't sleep. Not for the whole rest of the night. Once his thumb hit the end call button, he set it gently on the bedside table and turned his gaze to the ceiling. It was vibrating off the hook; Sapnap undoubtedly trying to get him to spill more of his thoughts, but it wasn't going to happen. His mind was made up. It hadn't been long enough to properly tell whether or not this was legit, and it wasn't worth risking something if it wasn't. Even if it was, George had stated multiple times he wasn't gay anyway. Maybe things were different now, or maybe he just wasn't ready to tell the public eye, but regardless, it wasn't Dream's job to jump to conclusions. 

Any of them. 

Another taut sigh, and his eyes closed right as the sun rose. He squinted and winced against the harsh white light as the nurse stepped in to check on his vitals. "Clay, are you sure you want to do this? It might result in a longer hospitalization if things go wrong."

"I know," Dream said, moving himself to sit up with another wince. "I don't exactly care."

She was silent, quietly helping him sit up and offering him a breakfast tray. "So what is he to you?"

Dream choked. "Excuse me?"

"The boy who was here all yesterday. Talked to you when you fell asleep before sleeping on your chest? He seemed fond of you." The nurse gave a playful little smile, switching the bag in his IV as Dream forked at his food weakly. He was getting questioned by strangers now? Good grief.

"He's my best friend," Dream replied with a small smile. "That was my first time meeting him."

"What?" The nurse raised an eyebrow. "You've been best friends but you've never met?"

"Well, online stuff," Dream gave a tiny smile. "I've known him for years."

"Oh," The nurse gave an approving smile. "Well, he seemed fond of you. You better hang on tight to that one!" She giggled and exited the room again, before popping her head back in. "We leave in about eight hours."

Dream gave a little nod, and the door closed again. He sighed, leaning his head against the propped up mattress. He was about to allow himself to trickle down the rabbit hole of thought, before the door opened again. He was about to grow annoyed with the peppy nurse, before seeing a familiar face walk in instead.

"Sapnap," He breathed.

"Dream. I really think you should tell him," Sapnap said, without wasting any time. "There'll never be another moment like this."

"Yeah, and what if I fuck it up? My mind's made up, Sap," Dream shook his head, draping an arm over his eyes to block out the harsh light he was still adjusting to. "I'm not gonna tell him."

"You wanna know what we talked about, Dream? You wanna know what he told me you 'did'?" Sapnap suddenly spoke, approaching the bed and closing the door behind him. "Clay, he was telling me that he was in love with you. He was telling me that you changed his feelings for him. He was telling me all these little things you've done, things you've always done, enamored him. You have to tell him, okay? There's literally no reason not to."

Dream stared at him, eyebrows raised. Finally, Sapnap spoke again. "I was going to tell you. But George wasn't asleep. He was sitting beside me, wanting to know why you were calling. Clay... tell him." A beat. "Please."

Dream let out a tiny laugh. "...fuck, Sapnap."

"What?"

"You just saved me."

-

"Careful, careful!" The nurse called out as Dream rolled himself down the ramp of the van in a wheelchair. 

"I'm fine," he called over his shoulder, continuing to roll himself towards the doors of the airport. "I have a guy to catch."

Dream felt his phone buzz in his pocket, and he pulled it out, looking back at the nurse. "Can you help? Roll me towards flight gate 7B." He looked down at his phone to see a text from Sapnap. 

_"Dude, where are you?"_

Dream groaned, glancing at the clock. _"I'm on my way. Be there really soon."_

Dream's heart was pounding in his chest as he finally saw the gate approaching. "George!" He called out.

George's head lifted from his phone when he heard Dream, and some others froze as well, clearly recognizing the voice. He didn't care. 

_Get to George._

Even when the nurse stopped rolling him, he pushed himself a bit further, until he was right in front of George. "George, I have to tell you something before you get on that plane."

George blinked, looking around. There were so many eyes on them, so much attention. People clearly knew who they were, yes, but they were also making a scene to the general public. "Can this- can this wait?"

"No," Dream breathed. "I thought it could. I was going to wait. It can't. I can't stop thinking about you, about-- if your flight crashes, about if I'm throwing away my only chance at telling you," Dream sat helplessly in the wheelchair. "I feel so small, and so helpless, and I don't want you to go, because I'm scared that if you leave, so will these feelings, and I'm not ready to let those go either," Dream met his gaze.

"Clay, what... are you...?" 

"I think I'm- I think I'm in love with you, George," Dream blurted, and there was no going back now. He took in the way George flinched, eyes going wide, a pink flush creeping from the tops of his cheekbones and slithering down his neck. "I can't stop thinking about you. You fill my every waking thought, you're all I dream about, you're all I think about on the nights I can't sleep," he breathed, "you've infiltrated my mind and you won't get _out_ ," he whimpered. "I just want to hold you. I just want the things I think about to be true. I just- I just want _you_."

It was silent for a few minutes, aside from the quiet murmurs of people talking amongst themselves. The nurse seemed awkward as she stood there, clearly thinking that she shouldn't be intruding on such a moment, but not having much of a choice. "Say something," Dream whispered. 

It was silent.

"George, _say something._ "

No one moved. The rest of the surrounding crowd was silent as well now. You could've heard a pin drop. "George," Dream tried again, but was interrupted by a firm feeling against his lips.

Everyone erupted in cheers, and Dream clung onto George, forcing himself to his feet on unstable legs. The nurse protested, Dream pretended not to hear. George held him up. Their lips were connected for a long time, and Dream felt fireworks exploding in his veins. 

_At last._


	10. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Tomorrow."
> 
> "I can't wait to see you," Dream held the phone to his ear as he lay on his side, eyes closed. "Can't wait to hold you close, fall asleep beside you..."
> 
> "I've been sleeping with a body pillow, cuddling it, pretending it was you..." George blushed slightly, and Dream could hear the flustered lilt in his tone.
> 
> "I've been humming songs from your spotify every night before bed so I dream of you."
> 
> "...me, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the end guys! hope you liked it<3 sorry for the long delay in finishing it!

The next two weeks were full of longing and late-night conversations. Little random things Dream would think of at 5am when the pain kept him awake, or George's words of encouragement and speedy recovery, or how badly they wished things could go back to the way they were sooner rather than later.

"Hospital food fucking sucks," Dream whined over the phone, earning a laugh from George. 

"Have you tried not eating it?"

"Yeah, genius?" Dream smiled fondly, "what do you propose I do instead, starve?"

"Ask the nurses to order you McDonald's!" George laughed again over the other end of the phone.

Dream groaned, rolling his eyes and smiling, eyes full of adoration and love. "I don't think that's their job, Georgie."

"You deserve McDonald's! I'll walk-- I'll swim across the ocean to get you some."

"You'll walk across the ocean?"

"Shut up!"

-

"Do you think if I Doordashed you food, like, to the hospital... you'd get it?" George had asked one day when Dream continuously complained of hunger. 

"Who knows," Dream shrugged, staring at the ceiling again. "I'm so fuckin' hungry, I could eat a--"

There was a knock at his door, and Dream glanced over. The nurse wandered in with a bag of McDonald's, and Dream's eyebrows raised. "George, it's a Christmas miracle!" he'd proclaimed as he opened the bag.

There was a chuckle on the other end of the line. "Turns out the answer is yes."

"You ordered this?" Dream asked, biting down into the hamburger with a groan. God, it was such a relief to eat real, greasy food. 

"Anything for you."

-

"I re-learned how to walk today," Dream told George one night.

"That must be so weird, learning how to walk. Like, it's not something you think about, until you can't."

"Yeah," Dream sighed. "It sucks. I feel helpless."

"You're no less strong because of this, Dream," George reminded, voice sobered with sincerity. "If anything, you're more strong because of overcoming."

Dream had never had the urge to get a quote tattooed on his own skin until that moment.

-

"No, it's all gone, Dream! The whole city, blown to shit!" George enthusiastically explained lore that Dream had missed. "Technoblade spawned all these withers, and he and Tommy had this talk on the rubble of L'Manberg, and then Phil and Ghostbur had a fight and he's gonna get resurrected--"

"And you didn't sleep through it this time?"

"Hey, fuck you!"

-

"I managed to get tickets to Florida again, after the holiday's over," George told him. "I can't wait to see you."

"Me either, I've been thinking about our kiss ever since it ended," Dream sighed softly. "I...wish I would've said something sooner, so we could've enjoyed more time while you were here."

"Me too."

-

"One more week!"

"One more week until I can see you again. Until you're real, tangible, I can hold you in my arms and kiss you..." Dream sighed. "One week can't go by fast enough."

-

"I think I might be able to actually leave the hospital when you come visit!" Dream had spoken hastily and excitedly. "The nurses said I'm recovering really quickly and as long as it's something tame, like, a dinner date or something, I can spend time with you outside this stupid place!"

"And get a break from hospital food."

"And that, arguably even better."

"Hey!"

-

"Have you ever thought about moving to America?" Dream asked, "maybe with Sapnap and I?"

"That sounds great, Dream. I wish I could do that..."

"Why can't you?"

"I guess I just never looked into it," he shrugged his shoulders, and Dream watched the movement fondly on his phone. "Seems complicated."

"What if I told you Sapnap and I were looking at renting a two-bedroom house and moving in together? Would you be more interested then?"

"Two bedroom?"

"I figured we could share."

The blush that coated George's face made it so immensely worth it.

-

"Three days."

"Three days."

"Three long, painful days."

"Three days of torture."

"Okay, well, that's a little dramatic."

"You love it."

"I do."

-

"Tomorrow."

"I can't wait to see you," Dream held the phone to his ear as he lay on his side, eyes closed. "Can't wait to hold you close, fall asleep beside you..."

"I've been sleeping with a body pillow, cuddling it, pretending it was you..." George blushed slightly, and Dream could hear the flustered lilt in his tone.

"I've been humming songs from your spotify every night before bed so I dream of you."

"...me, too."

-

Today was the day.

Dream stood, crutches hoisted under his arms, waiting for the Brit to finally exit the plane, and the moment he did...

"George!"

The brunette's head swiveled around until he saw him, and his whole face lit up. He rushed forward, resisting the urge to tackle him in a hug. "Clay!" He said excitedly. 

Dream opened his arms, and George hugged him tightly. Dream tilted his chin up, and their lips met. Dream swore he felt George melt under his hands. When he pulled back, he was smiling so wide the pain in his cheeks outweighed that in his legs.

"Welcome home, Georgie."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that's it!! let me know what you thought over on twitter @mitikune_ !!! come say hi!! i'll miss this fic<3


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